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Serial Killers

Serial Killers. HSP. General Serial Killer Profile. Demographics • Male 88.4% Kraemer, Lord & Heilbrun (2004) study of 157 serial killers: 96% White Average to sometimes Above-Average intelligence Mean of 103 in our data base (median = 102) Demographics – Average age is 28.4

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Serial Killers

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  1. Serial Killers HSP

  2. General Serial Killer Profile Demographics • • Male • 88.4% • Kraemer, Lord & Heilbrun (2004) study of 157 serial killers: 96% White • Average to sometimes Above-Average intelligence • Mean of 103 in our data base (median = 102) • Demographics – Average age is 28.4 • usually look extremely average • excellent liars (“con-men”) who believe they will never be caught • calm - never seem to lose temper, but…

  3. The worst tend to be very smart Intelligence quotients • • 165 Debora Green • • 165 Ted Kaczynski (155) • • 160 Charlene Gallego • • 152 Carroll Cole • • 148 Gary Heidnik (130) • • 145 Ed Kemper (136) • • 140 Charles Albright • • 140 Robert Browne • • 138 Michael Carson • • 136 Ted Bundy (125)

  4. General Serial Killer Profile • Unstable home (37%) • Absence of loving and nurturing relationship • Head injuries • “The Tripod Symptoms” - they often show three signs of instability during childhood, some of which are connected to violent sexual fantasies: – bed wetting (NORMAL but can show…) – pyromania – animal torture

  5. Many suffered abuse as children General Population Serial Killers No Abuse 70 % 30% Sexual 3% 26% Psychological 2% 50% Physical 6% 36%

  6. Motivations / Techniques • have a desire for POWER - even in sexual crimes this is the primary motivation • don’t kill spur of the moment - usually systematically seek out their victims • usually select victims weaker than themselves (women and children) and enjoy watching them beg for mercy

  7. see human as OBJECTS to fulfill their desires • collect “trophies” from crime (clothing, belongings of victim, even body parts) • thrive on attention - constantly follow coverage in the media of their crimes - often call or write to police to taunt them • sometimes at the scene of the crime when it is discovered

  8. Types of Serial Killers [4] • Missionaries • • Kill to “Clean-up” world • • Examples- • -Robert Picton and Jack the Ripper • Killed prostitutes • – Wolfgang Abel • • Killed drug addicts • – Axe Man of New Orleans • • Killed 11 (most were Italian grocers)

  9. Visionaries - RARE • • Psychotic - told to kill • – paranoia, schizophrenia – only 1% of killers are psychotic (Henn et al., 1976) • • Example Joseph Kallinger – Operated during 1974-1975 – Murdered 3 in NJ and PA (including one of his sons) • Vision – Told by God (through a large floating head with tentacles) to murder young boys and sever their genitals

  10. Thrill Killers • Kill for fun Kill to exert power over strangers • Examples – Ted Bundy – David Berkowitz – Angelo Buono Edward Kemper

  11. Lust Killers • – Lust Killers (kill for sexual gratification) – Jeffrey Dahmer – John Gacy – Chris Wilder - Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka

  12. Social Scientific Explanations 1. PSYCHOPATH / SOCIOPATH Don’t feel guilt Problem all serial killers are psychopaths, but not all psychopaths are serial killers 2. MEDIA VIOLENCE AND PORNOGRAPHY Ted Bundy quote Problem millions have seen this but serial killers are rare

  13. 3. ELLIOT LEYTON QUOTE “These people are social outcasts whose career or class ambitions haven’t been fulfilled. They blame this on a particular group.” First they have violent fantasies about the group, then in a tiny proportion of cases they act out these fantasies. The reason there are more serial killers today then ever before may be because society is changing so fast and leaving more people behind. Problem Most social outcasts don’t kill - only a partial explanation

  14. 4. NATURE PLUS NURTURE Abuse as a child plus deficient nature (“chemical imbalance” ? damage to the amygdala ?) Problem no specific “violence” gene has ever been discovered 5. COPYCAT THEORY Many crimes are copied by unstable individuals Problem too simplistic ? 6. OTHERS ?

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